It’s almost comical to watch the local Tucson news coverage of the Minuteman Project.  I keep asking myself, “Are these people serious?”  Sadly, the answer is yes.

It took this armed militia less than a week to be the target of an investigation by authorities.  From an ABC news report:

Border Patrol agents called in deputies from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday afternoon to report that an immigrant was detained by three men who identified themselves as project volunteers.

Carol Capas, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said the 26-year-old Mexican man told agents he was physically restrained and forced to hold a shirt while his picture was taken and he was videotaped.

The shirt read: “Bryan Barton caught an illegal alien and all I got was this T-shirt.”

What raises my blood pressure to a boiling point even more is that many of these wackos will claim to be Christian.  Last time I remembered, the Bible taught that every person is created in the image of God and deserves dignity.  

I lay the blame directly at the feet of President Bush for our political and religious climate.  He has co-opted the Christian message in a way that motivates right wing activists to sell-out the poor of our country in the name of patriotism, pseudo-morality and freedom.  It’s hypocrisy at the highest level.

It will only a matter of time before there is an “international incident” referenced at the end of the article above.  I pray that it doesn’t happen, but I remain skeptical as long as these Minute (read Militia) Men feel empowered.  It’s time to raise a stink in the local papers about their extremism.  Here are the Letter to the Editor emails for the Tucson papers, I hope you’ll join me in pointing out this group’s wacko behavior:

  • Tucson Citizen: letters@tucsoncitizen.com
  • Arizona Daily Star: letters@azstarnet.com

    Update [2005-4-7 15:50:27 by Man Eegee]: Local newspapers are now reporting that they “didn’t hold an illegal immigrant against his will.” Right…mmhhmmmm, nothing to see here.

    I also found this little tidbit interesting from another story:

    We have no time or patience for anyone attempting to turn this situation into a three-ring circus,” he (Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever) said.

    The Cochise County Attorney’s Office is also investigating the complaint.

    Barton, who is running for Congress in San Diego on the Republican ticket, said he’s not worried about charges being filed and that he never held the man against his will.

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